The Best Universities Around the World By Subject Expertise

QS World University Rankings just released its 2017 list of the best schools by subject. Among the criteria are academic reputation, employer ratings, department productivity, and the number of times school publications have been cited in research.

Harvard University ranked highest, with 15 subjects that are considered its expertise. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) came in second with 12. The third ranking went to Cambridge University, which specializes in four subjects.

Which dream school is right for you? Here are the top 10 schools per broad subject area:

Arts and Humanities

If you’re a bookworm eyeing a degree in literature, linguistics, history, philosophy, religious studies and the arts, your best bets are three of the most prestigious schools in the world: Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard. Other contenders are mostly American universities such as UC Berkeley, Yale, and Princeton. Australian National University made it to the 10th spot.

Engineering and Technology

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For those who want to be in IT and various engineering fields, MIT is the top choice. Asian universities Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, National University Singapore, Tsinghua University in China and also made it to the top 10 schools in these fields.

Life Sciences and Medicine

The usual suspects Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford fare the highest in sciences that deal with living organisms and the cure of diseases. Other American universities on the list are Johns Hopkins University, UCLA, University of San Francisco, and Yale University. Swedish university Karolinska Institutet came in at seventh place.

Natural Sciences

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MIT, Cambridge, and Harvard offer the best education in natural sciences. Other top options for those who want to study chemistry, earth sciences, astrology, and mathematics are ETH Zurich in Switzerland, California Institute of Technology, The University of Tokyo, and Imperial College of London.

Social Sciences and Management

If you want to succeed in business, communications, politics, and education, Harvard University is still the number one choice. Two Asian universities have also earned bragging rights in this subject: the National University of Singapore ranked eighth while the University of Tokyo came in at tenth place.